Hermana Bettridge in Houston: Another Week!

Hola!

This week was a little slower than usual, but we still saw a ton of miracles!

The night of her foot problems a member brought us over enchiladas ❤️

Celebratory car selfie when she recovered

My companion has been having problems with her toe for a few months. We finally went to a podiatrist this week, and it turns out she had a giant ingrown toenail that had to be cut out! So that was sad, but she's pretty much back to normal now. The members were really nice and helpful. The Relief Society president sat with Hermana Peña that night, and one of her counselors went with me to our appointments.

We have been trying to visit several less active and part member families during my time here, but, people don't want to answer their phones or the door. So, we decided to tape up hearts on their doors when they don't want to answer 😂 (There is a picture example below.)

There isn't a ton to say about our investigators. It's been hard to find new ones and help those we have progress. But, Juan Carlos is doing great! We had a family home evening with him and his family last Monday and watched the movie "The Testaments." It is about Christ coming to the Americas. The Spirit was so strong! We also got to talk a lot about temples. His kids just went to Nauvoo for youth conference, and so he helped them gather the names of his ancestors so they could be baptized for them. He had a lot of questions about baptism/baptisms for the dead. After youth conference they had a testimony meeting for all of the youth that went and their parents. Juan Carlos went and his daughter bore a really powerful testimony about temples and how she hopes her dad will get baptized soon so their family can be sealed for time and all eternity in the temple. Yesterday Juan Carlos came to church even though his wife didn't come! We hope to set a baptismal date with him soon.

Our English class is also starting to pick up! We had two new people come this last week.

Last night we had a "Why I Believe" fireside with the Petersons. They talked about receiving personal revelation. And I got to see a lot of my friends!

Today is Pioneer Day! Today marks 170 years since the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley to start their new lives! I am so grateful to my pioneer ancestors who sacrificed everything to walk to Utah after being forcefully driven from their homes. Despite all of the hard things that were going on, they had hope and knew it was more important to do the right thing instead of the easy thing so their posterity could grow up in the safety of covenants. Joseph Smith said, "Persecution has not stopped the progress of truth, but has only added fuel to the flame... No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

It's crazy to think of how much growth has happened since the early days of the church. Over this past year I have had the privilege to work with many pioneers, first generation Latter-day Saints that are paving the way for their families and future generations. I love them and admire them. The challenges we face today may be different, but they require just as much courage and strength from the Lord.

After the martyrdom of the prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young led the Saints to Utah. He said, “we feel no fear. We are in the hands of our Heavenly Father, that God of Abraham and Joseph who guided us to this land, who fed the poor Saints on the plains with quails, who gave his people strength to labour without bread, who sent the gulls of the deep as Saviours to preserve the Golden Wheat for bread for his people and who preserved his Saints from the wrath of their enemies, delivering them. … We live in this light, are guided by his wisdom, protected by his strength.”

This is such an exciting time to be on the Earth! The heavens are again opened! Saving truths that had been lost and distorted have been restored. New scripture has been revealed. The Lord's kingdom is on the Earth again in preparation for His second coming. God has, again, sent a prophet to reveal His will and prepare us for what is to come!

I love all of you, and I hope you have a week!

Love,

Hermana Bettridge

Fotos:
Hermana Kiser! She is going home next week 😭